Boot or shoe, and composite sole therefor, and process of manufacturing same



Fel.y 22, 1927. 1,618,283

B -F. HARTWELL BOOT 0R SHOE, AND OOMPOSITE'SOLE THEREFOR, AND PROCESS OF MANUFACTURING SAME Filed Jan. 8, 1926 Ivvewor 6 1 1 A aioriey- Patented Feb. 22, 1927.

BEYIWJ'QVIIII` FRANKLIN HARTWELL,

Boom on sHoEfAND'coi/LPSITE som?l 1 2Q u leather and"iubber,'anldin'iny presentina Therprinci'pal diiicult'y hasl been experienced V 'in' attempting Go-combine aleatherand rubber sole,gfpartic'ularly outsoles, because of' the difficulty 1in" securinga proper joint between -thet'w'o Inate'ri'alsthe' apparent" impossibility er,l the ezpei'rsej of fashfoningintricate joints, and :the resulting Weakness of the v"sole at s`uh'j'oints,' an'd the positioning location of' thefjoi'nt in` the sole.

Agp'rincipal feature f inypresenttin'ven- 'tioin'f-tlierelfore, lisjt'o "obviate `such 'former diiicultiesan'd' enables meto" produce a com- "binedi leather' and 1i`ibber"sole,*as an outsole` "for'bootsand" shoes, 'Whether Welts, vMcKays ""or other types, wherein the :full "flexibility of theii'orepartj is'. securedjpby rubber or ai' ubbeili'ke foonipo'sition, 'preferably 'crepe Jrub- "ber, `vcoinbiiied":with tlrejadv'antage's of 'a i letli'e1" sliankandfliel seat portion for the l sole, and novelftypesof'interlockingjoints "at peci'lliarly "advantageous locations in the 'sho'esol'e. Y

InIc-arrying'out iny invention Ilniayluti- 1li'Ze :an'yfoftheWell-known types'fof rubber I`or rubberilike "compounds or compositions, including' raw; crepe or latex rubber, or 'com- Nbinations of thecsaine, toffdrm''aw'earresist- 1 ing "and ilexible layer off suitable thickness t'ojconstitut'e' the outsole of thefshoe. l

The*fonepart section 'ofs'l'cient length and"ite`t,' relativelywthfthe'size' adctyle OF WINCHES'IER, -MASSACHUSETT i Tunai-:romania PRoeE'ssoF "MANUFACTURING sA-Mln.

*8, raza serial No. 79,992.

"of-the shoeand sole blank, sothat this rubber orrubbe'rllikefsectionwill be joinedto the leather shank andheelx portion at" iai point ksubstantially remote 'Y from f that fportion kof :the 5fsole Lwhich withsta'nds the' l.greatest anie'unt oi" flexing. By' positioning' the j'oint intheshank or are'h ofc" the lshoeywh'ere no; or substentrally no, flexing, bending and 'working of the sole is'required, I'favoidniany of*V f the difticultiesf 'andV disadvantagesheretofore experienced in making *suoh a j'ointur'e 'be- 'vt'wee'nfrubber leather. By niy peculiarly interlof'zking jointlarrangements and at` *the position'fwhich I'havel discovered ismost importantv in l the frigid fshan'k of the shoe, I can. parti-ally cement .anolf partiallyfstitch the leather and' rubber together, Yeiecting ai per- -`m`anent oiiiture. jBy thus having this joint in a protected? position under; the non-flexing pait' 'ofthejf shank or larch; the stitching viWill not be? breken 'during l' flexing; the' interlockingidovetailed ijoint'arran'gements Which I Iprefer toeinploy,farefnot endangered 'or dis- V'tuib'efh'and-the entiresole is 'maintained in a desirable `and `f satisfactory manner.

Furtherrnore, :by utilizing roy "present -novel details offconst'ruction, I am enabled to `satis'fatorily Yj 0in crepe rnbber and rubber vfiber or 4other rubbeili-ke compositions, to forin" Ian outsole' with 'thef advantagesE of each,

Viz, LWith the 4Wear-resisting 'and tre'ad 'qualitiesof crepe i rubber, and the 'toughn'e'ss 'and y relative-rigidityiof thefrbber iber'o'r composition.

Further features fof fthe fi'nvention, I'novel Acombi-nations fiparts details and advantages, :will `be hereinafter niore'fully'l pointed lout and claimed.

Referring -'to the drawings, 1 i llustr'atlg a ,preferred einbodinent of my f 'presenti invention, `Fig. llis la side eleyationfof one. forni of niy inventioni-applied t'oy a Welt shoe ;V

FigQQlis -abottoinplan yiew of the same shoe; ,Y K i IFig. Sgis'va-cross-seetinal View onthe line 3*13 of Fig. if1; r

fFi'gpfll fis a similar 'eross-setional View illustrating application toallylcliayt Yshoe Fig blbeing a' Cross-sectional detail on the line5'`5'of`-Fig. 2. Y

Although .myx inventionfresidesfprinrarily inthe-soles ln'clinethodsffjoining same, I f also 'consi ht-'l have eieeteda substantial z'and nevel-ifmp'roi'ment intlie-bet or shoe atructures, wl'iether oi' .lileKay or welt type, and therefore .l claim these. features herein.

Fig. l, illustrates, in side elevatitm, a conventional welt shoe ot the onl'ord type, wherein the upper il has joined to it a welt 2. A fiber or rubbeil sole member i5, to whirh is secured a midsole l ot thin crepe rubber. is then attached to a leather sole member 5 of an areato extend over the shank and heel seat oi the shoe. The rubber or liber solo Zi and midsole fl ot crepe rubber are joined in any suitable manner, by solvents. nements or the-like, and each secured to the leather sole portion 5 in a scart' ti, provided therefor. in any suitable manner. preferably by stitehine` 7, and reinforced by cement. As .illustrated in Figs; l and 2. the fiber sole member f ie joined to the leatherportion by two rows ot stitching, while but one row of stitching ein gages the thin crepe midsole, iVith this composite. sole secured to the shoe, au outsole S, preferably of crepe rubber, is their joined to the midsole Ll in the usual manner, preferably by coating the contartiniin surfaces oit the soles Li andS with a suitable solvent. such as bcnzol, and assembling the two soles together, preferably under pressure, until the outsole S has uniiied with the midsole 4 in a tirm, homogeneous .manner` forming a iieatitti'imtive, tirm, strong and etlieient shoe structure, and one of `great wear-resisting capacity. it conventional heel 9 is illustrated in Fig. l` which may be oi rubber, leather or the like. As shown in Fig. l the jointure of the leather and rubber sole members con'ies substantially at the arch of the shoe, away vfrom the flexing' or bending ot' the solo in walking, and being; thus relieved of any liability ol breaking; away caused by such strains.

Fie'. 3 illustrates. in c1osasection, the method o't attaelnnent of my novel sole to a shoe ot' the welt type, wherein the upper 1, welt 2. and insole it) are united by inseam stitehiire,r ll. To the welt 2 is then attached the composite fibel' sole and midsole 4l; by welt stitchingr l2. The outsole 8 is also illustrated iu position to he attached to the midsole Llin any suitable nimmer, prefer ably by being unified therewith by routine' the two contact-ing surl'aces ,i3 aud il with a suitable solvent, and assemlfiling.;` the same, preferably under pressure.

Fiend illustrates the method oli attachment to a McKay shoe, `wherein the upper 15, insole 'lti and composite sole 8 and et, are all united by through and through stitching; 1T, the outsole S beingr shown in position tor attachment similar to the meth od described in Fig. 3. The advantages ot thus having the stitching holding the coni bined sole 3 and midsole Ll, concealed under the outsole 8, and therefore not subjected to wear, will bc readily appreciated.

inmensa Fig. 5 is a cross-seethmal detail illustrate ine; the method of joiningot the composite sole, wherein the leather sole member :i is scarl'ed as illustrated at the fiber sole member Zi and midsole ft `inserted inthis scart and secured thereto by stitchingy T. 'l`hc sole members and scarl? laccs may also he cemented together. in addition to the stitching, it desired. lhc outsole Si is then applied, a'lter thecomposite solo above dcscribed has been aflixed to the shoe, and ad hcred thereto, the. shank end oli this outer sole t.; abutting against a shoulder 18 on the leather sole membr 5, to l'orm an even, close fit. and j'nesentiu'gy a tlush surface throughout the entire lemijth of: the sole.

l believe that a, shoe thus formed by my novel method is new, and l claim the same herein broadly. i j j l, also believe that my novel composite sole is new, and I claim this `herein aswell.

The importance aud advantages of the shoe construction, and novel composite sole as above described, will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art. The advanta` genus features of composite soles, with the strength and rigidity of a leather port-ion in the heel and shank portions, and the resiliency and flexibility of the crepe rubber on the tread surface, are of great importance in this art,\and I believeare novel and will appeal, not only to theitrade, but to the purchasingr public as well, who Will realize the benefits and advantages of such shoe con struetions. j t

My invention is further described and delined in the form otcla-iins as follows.

l; A composite sole, comprising a leather shank and heel portion, ajforepart composed ot a layer ot rubber or rubber composition to which is adhered a midsole of crepe rubber, there being an inter-engaging tralisverse joint between the leather sole portion and both said rubber layers in a nontlexinpr part oli the arch or sha nir, and a crepe rubber outsole unilied with said crepe rubber lriidsole.

E2. Au improved boot or shoe, having a cou'iposite sole, coniprisiup,r a leather shank and heel portion, a itorepart coniposed o'lia layer oli rubber or rubber composition to which is adhered a midsole of crepe riibhefr, there beingr an iuterengapini,r transverse 'joint between the leather solo portion and both said rubber layers in a nonflexin,fr part of the arch or ehank, said composite solo being secured to the shoe by mechanical Vtasteniiug,r devices, and ay crepe rubber outsole unified with said crepe rubber niidsole and concealing,r and protecting the mechanical fasten- .maf devices in said midsole.

e o. The improved process of making boots and shoes, which consists in first assembling an insole and upper materials on a last,` lastinr the shoe, then applying a composite Sole to said shoe, said composite sole comprising llt.)

a leather shank and heel portion, a orepart ing a crepe rubber outsole to said crepe rub- 10 composed ot' a layer of rubber or rubber ber midsole toform a homogeneous unified composition to which is adhered a midsole of outsolel and concealing the stitching in the Crepe rubber, there being an interengaging midsole, attaching a heel, removing the last transverse joint between the leather sole porand completing the shoe.

tion and both said rubber layers in a non- In testimony whereof, I have signed my l5 flexing part of the arch or shank, securing name to this specification.

this composite sole to the shoe by usual t stitching and heel nailing operations, attach BENJAMIN FRANKLIN HARTWEl-L 

